Peeling Back Layers
by SmurfZXC714
Summary: Once upon a time, Zach and Cammie had been ridiculously in love. But Zach had been such a jerk, and Cammie couldn't take it anymore. She'd broken off the relationship and inflicted herself with a broken heart. Of course, he wasn't an ass all the time. She kept trying to peel back layers to find a real person, but all she found were more and more layers.


_** Peeling Back Layers **_

* * *

_****My fingertips are holding onto the cracks in our foundation, _

_and I know that I should let go; _

_but I can't _

_-Kate Nash_

_(Foundation) _

* * *

_Disclaimer: I do not own Cammie nor Zach. Nor the fact that they are spies. _

* * *

She sat by the river Thames, her ankles delicately crossed as she sipped at her hot tea. Above her, the sky was cloudy, a deep grey in some parts, pristine white in others, but no blue sky was to be seen. Typical London weather. The air was cold, too cold for the middle of July. A thin, brightly colored scarf was twisted around her neck, keeping her warm against the chilly wind. It was about to rain, she knew, but she sat under the flimsy umbrella anyway, watching the almost black river push against itself.

She was waiting; any bystander would be able to tell. But was she waiting for the rain? Was she waiting for the sun? Or maybe for someone? What was she waiting for?

"Miss?" a voice ascended into her silence and she looked up to see the waiter who had brought her tea hovering over the table.

"Yes?" she replied, her voice clearly indifferent.

"Do you want your check?" he asked. He glanced up at the sky, "it's about to rain"

Cammie didn't really understand what her check and the rain had to do with each other but she didn't bother to ask.

"Yes," she said, not looking at him. "Thank you".

He seemed a bit confused by her behavior, but she didn't find herself caring.

A moment later, after the waiter had gone, she felt something change. She hadn't heard or seen anything but she knew.

So it didn't surprise her when a voice next to her said, "So, do you think he's cute?"

She didn't look at him where he sat, next to her, where no one had been moments before.

"You're late," she said, "but I suppose I should have suspected that."

"maybe you're early."

"I'm not."

"Who stuck a stick up your ass?"

Cammie's glare was hard on him. "You. You're late."

He rolled his eyes, "fine, I'm sorry."

The apology was completely insincere, not that she cared. Zach Goode in himself was completely insincere, she hadn't expected anything else.

Cammie uncrossed her ankles and picked the folder out of her purse, laying it on the table.

"Now we're behind schedule."

"Would you relax?" Zach asked. "You and I both know this is going to be a piece of cake." He reached for the folder but Cammie smacked his hand away, just as she heard the first rain drops. Her muscles momentarily stopped moving as she listened.

A vindictive smile spread over Zach's face. "Do you know what rain always reminds me of?"

"Zach," she said. "Don't."

He smirked but didn't say anything, knowing she knew exactly what he was thinking. He didn't need words to convey that.

Once upon a time, Zach and Cammie had been ridiculously in love. Towards the end of high school, despite the fact they went to different schools. But Zach had been such an ass hole, and Cammie couldn't take it anymore. She'd broken of the relationship and inflicted herself with a broken heart. Of course, he wasn't an ass all the time. And she kept trying to peel back layers to find a real person, but all she found were more and more layers.

Cammie opened the folder. Even though there was no sun to be seen the light caught on something on Cammie's fingers. And as she moved it over the papers he noticed a sparkly diamond ring perched on her left hand.

With the smirk wiped clear off his face he reached for her hand without realizing he was doing so. When his fingers touched hers her eyes snapped up to his, about to ask him what he was doing. But she followed his gaze to her finger and the words fell out of her mouth.

"You're engaged?" Zach asked, willing his voice not to crack but she heard it anyway, there wasn't much that got by her.

She retracted her hand. "No," she said, completely thrown by his behavior. "It's for the mission Zach. _We're _supposed to be engaged."

Relief flooded through his body, followed by embarrassment.

"Oh," he said. "Right, I knew that."

Cammie gave him a funny look and she clicked her tongue.

"What if I was really engaged?"

Zach shrugged.

"You sure?" She asked. "You seemed pretty interested."

Zach cleared his throat and looked away. "I was interested," he replied, trying his best to sound nonchalant. "I hadn't known you were in a relationship."

"Well I'm not," she said, still eyeing him suspiciously. "Zach?"

Without meaning to, he met her eyes. "Uh, yes?"

"Do you still care about me?" She wondered.

The question caught Zach of guard. "What kind of a question is that?"

She didn't reply but just stared at him with her hazel colored eyes. It felt eerily like she was staring into his soul, and knowing everything he was thinking.

"I'm sorry," he said abruptly. He stood up. "I have to go."

Cammie snatched his hand before he had a chance to try and leave. She forced him to sit back down.

"Quit looking at me like that," Zach snapped as he sulked in his chair.

"What is wrong with you?"

"You're looking at me like that," he said sounding exactly like a stubborn child.

"Like _what_?"

"Like you know everything I'm thinking."

"Believe me Zach," she replied. "I have _no idea_ what is going through your head right now."

That didn't seem to settle Zach's mind.

"Are you okay?" she asked, seeming genuinely concerned. And she was, Zach was acting completely out of character and she wasn't really sure what to do.

Her question had sparked something in him, and for one time he didn't seem sure of himself.

Zach let out a breath. "I think I'm still in love with you."

….

Cammie stared at him her eyes peeled wide open. "What?"

Zach seemed to realize what he had said and pushed back from the table again. He started running of into the rain before she had time to react. It wasn't until he was out of her seat did she get up and chase after him, running into the downpour.

She didn't really understand what was going on. Was Zach just playing a game? And if so, what was he getting at? But Cammie didn't think he was playing a game he seemed freaked out and unsure of everything he was doing or saying. That was so unlike Zach.

As she sprinted through the rain she randomly thought about how they used to be in high school. Zach being his jerkily sweet self. Which didn't make much sense but in her mind; it did. Sometimes he was Zach, her boyfriend, who was one of the kindest people she knew, but more often than that, he was Zach the douchebag. She remembered how un-surprised her friends had been when she told them it was over. Because Zach and Cammie had a bad habit of breaking up and getting back together.

Whenever Cammie would say it was really over Macey would reply with: "You're _Cammie _and _Zach_, of course it's not over."

She had said that the last time as well. And when they didn't get back together within a month, Macey stopped talking. She realized, as well as the other, this time it really _was _over.

It had been eighteen months since then. And they'd been assigned to their first mission since the break up. Cammie had decided it wouldn't be an issue. They would do the mission and be done with it. Apparently Zach hadn't felt the same way. He had, after all, just told her he might still be in love with her. And that was making her mind all jumbled up.

"Zach!" she shouted, seeing his silhouette as it darted through the rain. The figure didn't slow down. She was at a complete disadvantage, running in heels on the cobble stone roads. And although she was a spy she wouldn't be surprised if her ankle gave away. That gave her an idea.

She let out a screamed she fell to the ground, making sure she screamed loud enough for him to hear. Cammie held her ankle but watched the racing figure come to abrupt stop. He was too far away to tell if he was looking at her but he must have been because the next second he was racing back. Cammie pretended her ankle had rolled over and she was in a great deal of pain.

"Shit, are you okay?" Cammie's hand wrapped around his wrist and she held onto it tightly as she stood up with ease.

"Fine thanks," she said. "I think we need to finish our conversation."

"I can't believe you just pull that," he said. He noticed her impatient stare and sighed. "There's nothing to say."

Cammie glared. "Like hell there's not. I need to know what's going on, and I need to know _now_."

She looked fierce in the rain and the wind, her wet hair whipping around and her stance telling him she wasn't even close to giving up.

"Well?" The impatience in her voice almost made Zach feel guilty.

Zach looked to the side. He didn't know what to say. And he certainly wasn't use to being speechless.

"Fine, I'll instigate it," she snapped. "Why did you freak out when you thought I was engaged?"

"It's not hard to figure out Cammie!"

"Then just explain it to me!' she yelled.

"I already told you!" he said, his words were coming from his mouth without his realization. "I'm still in love with you! I don't know what other words I can put it in!"

"Why did you run away?"

Zach sighed. She was mad, and he wasn't really sure why. He knew he must be frustrating her but she looked seriously livid.

"Because I'm fucking confused, Cammie! I know you don't feel the same way and I don't know what to do about it!"

Suddenly Cammie relented. "Why are you doing this to me?" she asked, desperation leaking into her voice. Zach took a step towards her, once again puzzled by her behavior.

"Doing what?"

"Haven't you done enough? Haven't you _hurt _me enough?"

"Cammie what the hell are you on about?"

"You!" she shouted her voice loud and piercing again. "You're messing with my head and I can't take it Zach!" Her voice carried loudly over the rain.

"_I'm _messing with _your_ head?" Zach said. "I'm so confused right now I don't know what the hell you are talking about!"

"You're telling me you love me to get inside my head. And I hate you because you know its working!"

"I am not!" he said, finally, kind of, understanding what she was saying. "This isn't a joke Cammie. I am in love with you! You don't have to make me feel so bad about it!"

"Of course it's a joke to you!" she screamed. "_Everything _is a joke to you! It always had been."

Zach pulled at his hair in frustration. He didn't think they were communicating very well. He certainly wasn't getting his feelings across. He took a step forward and grabbed her arm, forcing her to come towards him.

"What are you—"

He began kissing her until she surrendered into him, returning the kiss. He hadn't kissed anyone like this, ever. It was the most passionate thing he'd ever experienced. His blood was on fire, racing all throughout his body. He would have kept it up forever, except for the object of this affection decided to slap him across the face.

"Ow!" he yelled, breaking away. "What the hell is that for?"

"That was just cruel Zach!"

"You're the one that hit me!"

She couldn't believe he was doing this to her. He was getting in her head and messing around. Just like he always had. She was so sick of it. She had actually thought that maybe he had changed, but he hadn't, not even a little bit.

"Cammie," Zach said. "Please shut up for a second."

Her grabbed her hands and the intensity of his stare made her look into his deep green eyes.

"This isn't a game. I swear. I _am _in love with you. That's why I freaked out about the ring, and that's why ran off. I was being a coward and I'm sorry, but I'm really not playing you." He took a breath, actually feeling relieved to get this off his chest. "Now, I've told you that you can do one of two things. This first is, ignore it because you don't feel the same way about me anymore. Don't worry I'll understand and I'll just have to get over." He said and his eyes searched hers, trying to read her thoughts.

"Or?"

"If you have any feeling for me. Please just tell me. I can't stand not knowing anymore."

"And how long have you been in love with me? Since we broke up?"

Zach rolled his eyes. "Cammie. I never stopped."

Even though it was probably the most clichéd thing he could have said, it still made her heart melt.

"Zach—"

He leaned in and kissed her gently. "I'm sorry for everything."

She took a deep breath.

"Are you being honest with me? Because I can never tell."

"Yes," he said and she heard the desperation and raw honesty in his voice. And something suddenly occurred to Cammie. Maybe this was the real Zach. Maybe she had finally stripped down on the layers and found a real person. She couldn't not take the chance to see if it was real.

"I'm being completely open and to be honest it's really uncomfortable because you know I'm not—"

She surged forward and instigated another kiss, grabbing his jaw and holding him tightly to her.

"Fine," she said. "I believe you."

He grinned cheekily. "Now. Do you want to know what rain makes me think about?"

She shook head and rolled her eyes. "I already know."

And then she kissed him again.

* * *

_An: Short little ONESHOT that was in my file of unfinished one shots that I just randomly decided to finish. It was cute, and almost tugged on my heart strings. Much different from One Last Time. _  
_Leave me Some Love 3_


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